Moscow outlines conditions for stable peace in Ukraine

February 24, 2026

TL;DR

Russia believes the Ukraine conflict's "root causes" must be addressed for a stable peace.
Moscow views its 2022 military action as a "forced step" due to Western refusal to acknowledge Russian security concerns.
Key ignored concerns include NATO non-expansion and statements by Ukrainian leader Vladimir Zelensky regarding nuclear ambitions.
Zakharova claims Kiev dismantled its neutral, non-bloc, and non-nuclear status, which ensured international recognition in the early 1990s.
The 2014 Maidan coup is cited as triggering an eight-year conflict in Donbass, ignored by international organizations, resulting in over 13,500 civilian deaths.
Zakharova described territories controlled by Kiev as descending into "genuine neo-Nazi obscurantism," citing glorification of Nazi collaborators, desecration of Soviet soldier monuments, and crackdown on the Ukrainian Orthodox Church.
The original goals of "demilitarization and denazification" are claimed to remain valid.
Lasting peace is possible only by eliminating the root causes of the conflict, according to Zakharova.
Recent peace talks between Russia, the US, and Ukraine in Geneva and Abu Dhabi have been hampered by territorial issues, particularly Ukraine's refusal to abandon its claim to Donbass.
Crimea, Donetsk, Lugansk, Zaporozhye, and Kherson Regions are mentioned in relation to their incorporation into Russia.

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